Death Gods and Kings
by Scififan33
Summary: The war was over, the Quincy defeated, so what was he meant to do? His family was dead, so was he, sort of anyway. Of course, the Central 46 had ideas of their own which could lead to another war. Receiving a call for aid, Captain Kyōraku hopes to help Ichigo find a new purpose and maybe a new home.
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: Don't own Bleach or FFXV._

_I got asked if I would consider doing a crossover of these two so here it is._

**Prologue**

Ichigo walked into Shunsui's office and moved to lounge in the window, watching the man as he filled in paperwork. Ichigo was free to come and go as he pleased, wandering where he wished when he visited Soul Society. The new Soutaicho was a lot more laid back than his predecessor, not surprising considering what he'd been like when they first met, though he had changed a lot with the death of his best friend and mentor during the war. Then again, the war had changed everyone, even him.

The war had ended almost three years ago, not that you could tell by looking at Ichigo, he still appeared to be in his early twenties at most, despite the war lasting almost twenty years. He'd died during the war, killed by Yhwach himself in an assassination, in the Living World, something no one had even dreamed he would do. He hadn't had time to leave his body before the Reishi Sword had sunk into his chest, piercing his heart. The Quincy King had obviously been aiming to destroy him totally, not fully taking his hybrid nature into account. His own Quincy heritage had kicked in, absorbing power straight from the blade even as his Hollow side had surged, regenerating the damage. He had died and yet also lived, no longer able to leave his body but that didn't matter as he didn't need to anymore. He hadn't stepped foot in the Living World since the funerals for his sisters and Dad. When he stayed in Soul Society he lived with Kūkaku and Ganju, when in Hueco Mundo he stayed with Tier Harribel or Nelliel in Las Noches or wandered the never ending sands. He just couldn't settle down anywhere.

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Kyōraku Shunsui observed the younger man even as he continued with his paperwork. Was he doing the right thing? Was there any other choice? The Central 46 had tried to argue against Zaraki being taught more, due to how powerful he could become, that attitude towards one of their own Captain's should have made him more aware of what they may try concerning the powerful young hybrid. He thought they were rather stupid, Ichigo had far too many allies, powerful allies. Should they move against him, they would find themselves facing Shinigami, Visored and Arrancar, for all he knew Hell itself may back the boy up with his habit of making friends and allies in the oddest places.

Ichigo was no longer the brash boy who invaded Soul Society to save someone he had known for only a few months, though some things never changed and his loyalty to those he called friend was one of those things. He had become more careful as the war progressed, thinking things through more. With the loss of his family and several friends, not to mention his own odd death, Ichigo was drifting. He wasn't part of any division and while he had been offered one of the vacant Captaincies he had turned it down. Harribel to had offered him her own position or any he wished, and he had declined. He needed a purpose, something to keep him occupied and this seemed like it could be just the thing to help him.

"There is something I would like you to do Ichigo," he finally set his paperwork aside and poured the tea.

"Who's invading this time?" The orange haired man asked, and he chuckled in response.

"No one," he assured him. He waited as Ichigo sat opposite him and picked up the other cup. "I received a call for help and am asking you to answer it. Let's face it, since the war ended you have been at a loose end. Time away could be good for you."

"Where on earth could I be that would count as 'time away'?" Ichigo asked in confusion and Shunsui smiled slightly.

"Nowhere on earth," he admitted.

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Ichigo sat on a dune, staring out at the moon, ignoring the cold. He was mulling over everything Shunsui had told him and he had to admit, he was tempted to accept. He knew the Central 46 didn't like him, they never had, but the Royal Guard did, and it seemed that was what had kept them off his back for so long. He knew Shunsui was right, he hadn't found a place for himself since the war ended. Kisuke was back as Captain of the Twelfth and very busy going over everything psycho clown had done during his exile, they barely saw each other anymore, though he knew the ex-shopkeeper would answer should he call on him for help. That wouldn't be fair on him though, not after he finally got to come home and that was why he would not tell Shinji and the other Visored. He could probably remain in Hueco Mundo safely, there were many places to hide and the desert was massive, easy to get lost in. But did he want to spend forever in it? Hoping that one day he could go back to Soul Society? Or should he take the offer and leave it all behind to start again somewhere he was needed? A world where he could make a difference and save people from gods who were mostly uncaring. It could be a one way trip, there was no way to know in advance if he would be able to come back. It would hurt his friends if he did that, they didn't like his wandering but at least they always knew they could find him when they wanted to. And if he left, would things return to how they'd been, would his friends among the Arrancar be hunted by Soul Society, no longer allowed to visit or live in relative peace?

It was a massive decision and not one to be made lightly. The reckless teenager within screamed to stand and fight, the war weary man wanted it all to stop, and yet he couldn't just lay done and die, or face an eternity of imprisonment like Aizen. So what should he do?

_TBC.._


	2. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: not mine_

**Chapter 1**

Ichigo sat on the cliff edge, staring out at an unfamiliar sea. He'd done it, he'd agreed to leave and now he was a stranger in a strange world. He'd been given a basic world map, some 'gil' and that was it, everything else he had brought with him such as clothing, mementos of friends and family, food, medical supplies, anything he thought may be useful.

He felt a bit guilty; he hadn't had the guts to tell everyone what was going on, he'd left in the night without a word. Only Shunsui knew and he had a collection of letters to pass around once people began wondering where he was. He would not just roll over and die for those cowardly old men, likewise, he did not want to be the cause of another war. Leaving had been the best option for everyone, he just hoped they didn't target the Visored or Arrancar without him there. There was nothing he could do about it now except wish them well.

The trip to this world had been very different and strange, he'd actually been ill when he'd arrived. He'd found himself soaking wet, sprawled on the beach, here at Galdin Quay. He'd spent his time since learning everything he could about Eos. Daemons were a shock, but they didn't bother him, and he figured they could sense his Hollow powers and they made them wary, or maybe remnants of Hell from his trips there to save Yuzu. They made his skin crawl, especially when he could sense the mutilated souls at their core, some human, some animal. They were obviously this worlds version of Hollows, but even worse as there was nothing human left in them. At least they were only a threat at night if you left a well-lit area, well he was capable of providing his own light if necessary and even if he couldn't he was able to fight them off.

The war he'd landed in the middle of was more concerning. Learning about it without raising suspicion was not easy since it was such a long conflict. He knew he was in Lucis, that their enemy was the Empire of Niflheim. The best place for information would be the Capital of either, Insomnia was the closest. Much of Lucis was occupied by the Empire already, ever since some sort of Wall had been drawn back to protect the Capital. It was a very different war to anything he'd seen though it seemed it may soon be ending, Lucis could offer very little resistance anymore, their forces dwindling by the day.

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Ichigo handed over the proof of a successful hunt and accepted his payment for it from Coctura. "Anything new?" he asked as he sat at the counter and she whipped up a serving of white fish in tomato sauce, another thing he was adjusting to, the differences in food. Some things were the same but there were animals used for food he'd never dreamed of. Fish he figured was safe and something he was used to since Yuzu had always enjoyed cooking with it over red meats.

"No new hunts, sorry. Though there is news of the treaty."

"Oh?" he asked before tucking in.

"The Emperor himself arrives in Insomnia tomorrow. To seal the deal, Prince Noctis is to marry the Oracle, Princess Lunafreya. We'll finally have peace," she smiled.

"What's being given up?" He asked and she winced slightly but then sighed.

"All Lucian territories except Insomnia."

"So, we'll soon answer to the Empire," he murmured. Was this what he was meant to intervene in?

"With the number of bases across Lucis, we pretty much do already," her smile this time was resigned.

Ichigo finished his meal and stood up to leave. "See you tomorrow," he waved and left, heading away from the resort to where he'd built himself a home, with the help of some of the locals. No one had asked questions about where he'd come from and when he'd saved some local kids from some Seadevils they had accepted him as a local hunter. Coctura had gotten him signed up with a Hunter named Dave to make it official and he now wore the tags around his neck. He'd been fighting monsters since he was fifteen, these were just a different kind. He no longer wore the uniform of a Shinigami which felt very strange, but black was the colour of the Royal family and his clothing did not fit in, not that it had in the living world back home. It was a good thing he did have some other clothing, and he'd bought more to fit in. He now tended to wear dark pants and jacket and a t-shirt underneath, though he tended to ditch the jacket when not working because the region was rather warm. He'd almost forgotten what enclosed shoes were like but now he wore heavy duty boots and he carried Ossan's blade openly, only Shiro's remained hidden due to its size. He didn't wander too far from Galdin Quay, content to hunt in the area and keep an eye on things, like Dino had told him, you could learn a lot from the people coming and going thanks to the ferry and resort.

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Noctis stretched as he got out of the car, looking around. So this was Galdin Quay. He breathed in deep, smelling the salt air which you couldn't really do in Insomnia, due to all the city scents. His back was aching thanks to pushing the Regalia and then going on their first ever hunts. None of his training had prepared him for that kind of fighting, though he was glad they'd found Dave alive and mostly well. He was almost there, juts the ferry trip to go and he would see Luna for the first time since the Imperial attack in Tenebrae. He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about their upcoming marriage. Did he love her like he should a spouse? Not that it mattered, this was a political marriage and a lot of his ancestors had those, if they were lucky love came later, or at least friendship. At least he and Luna were already friends.

"We should check the ferry schedule and see if there is one this afternoon or if we will need to stay the night," Ignis offered.

"You're out of luck then," a voice called, and they turned to see a young man approaching.

Noctis couldn't help staring for a moment at his hair, it feel to the collar of his jacket and it wasn't blonde or red but orange, not a shade he'd ever seen before.

"Pardon?" Ignis called warily and the guy shrugged.

"It's all the talk around here, the ferry's aren't running. The Empire's stopping them from entering or leaving Altissia. Left a lot of people stranded," he answered, leaning against the railing that cut the carpark off from the beach.

"And you are?"

"Ichigo!" a child's voice called, and the stranger turned, scooping the child up to toss in the air, earning a shriek of delight.

"Where are your parents Mary?" he asked as he set her back down on the ground and the girl pouted.

"Working and I wanna swim," she stared up at him with wide eyes and Prompto smothered a laugh even as Ichigo sighed.

"Go get your suite and friends, I'll watch."

"Thank you!" she grinned and ran off.

"I don't suppose you've heard when the ferries will be running again?" Gladio asked and Ichigo shook his head.

"Sorry, good luck," he turned to go but then turned back. "Watch out, there's been some Imperials around, your Highness," he warned before heading for the beach.

"So what do we do now?"

"It seems we shall need to find alternative transport," Ignis offered and Noctis nodded, looking around and then he spotted the fishing dock.

"Since it looks like we'll be here at least a night, I should catch us some dinner."

"Any excuse to fish huh?" Gladio smirked but followed him down to the water as Ignis went to check if the caravan had been rented for the night, which it had been.

"It appears we will be camping at the Haven tonight," Ignis informed them when he joined them, watching the children play in the surf nearby, Ichigo keeping a close eye on them.

"Can't we stay at the hotel?" Prompto asked, he'd seen the stiff way Noctis was moving.

"We don't have unlimited funds," Ignis warned.

"We could take a hunt or two if we need too, it'll take time to find transport, right?" Noctis suggested, he really wanted a proper bed.

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Ignis glanced at the Prince and the way he was moving. "Very well," he agreed. It would hardly be good for Noctis to show up to his own wedding barely able to walk. The repairs to the Regalia had really drained their funds but taking a few easy hunts would pay for a room, they would need one with two beds to fit the four of them. "I shall go book us a room, we will need those fish for dinner still though, we won't have enough to eat at the restaurant," he warned.

He walked past the young man watching the children and nodded in greeting, getting one in return. He walked up onto the dock and down it towards the hotel, it would be interesting to stay in a hotel built over the ocean. A nice experience for one who loved water as much as Noctis. This may be the last time he ever left the city since the Empire would control Lucis, he should get to enjoy himself as much as possible.

He was worried about the treaty…and the possibility it was a trap. He suspected that was why the King wanted the wedding to happen in Altissia, it was the closest you could get to neutral territory, despite technically being Imperial territory. He paused as he saw an oddly dressed man just within the resort, something about him was familiar.

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Ichigo looked towards the resort, something dark slithering across his senses. "Time to get out, it's getting late," he called, and the children obediently left the water. He got up and headed for the resort at a quick walk, seeing one of the men from the Prince's car and a man dressed in far too many layers for the weather standing in front of him. He felt that darkness reach from the man towards the glasses wearing man and he reacted on instinct, a silent Kidō spell, one of the few he could manage, flared into existence between the two, protecting the younger male. Neither could see the barrier, no one in this world seemed at all sensitive to spiritual energy, thankfully, though he did wonder if his presence would change that like it had changed his living friends. He saw the man frown, obviously aware that whatever he'd tried had failed to work and Ichigo walked up behind the younger man, eyeing the older one carefully. "Everything alright?" he asked, and the young man turned to him, appearing a bit ruffled.

"Fine now, thank you." Then he flinched as something was tossed his way and Ichigo caught it before he could be hit. He opened his hand to reveal an old coin.

"Consider it your allowance," the man said, and the young man frowned.

"And who is allowing us?"

"A man of no consequence," with that he walked away and Ichigo held the coin out.

"You want it, or should I toss it in the sea?" he couldn't sense anything off about it, so it seemed a harmless trinket.

"I suppose there's no harm in it. Thank you for intervening. I don't believe I introduced myself earlier, Ignis Scientia," he offered his hand and Ichigo shook it.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, nice to meet you. Worked out your ferry problem?"

"No, I came to book a room for the night."

"Good luck with that, there's twice the people that are normally here with the ferry down. Have you tried the caravan?"

"Already rented," Ignis sighed.

Ichigo hesitated, but then figured there was nothing else to do. He'd seen the way the Prince was moving, a night at the Haven would do him no good. "I've got a spare room," he offered. "It'll be close quarters and there aren't enough beds for everyone, but it'll be better than the Haven, especially since its meant to rain tonight."

"That's very generous of you," Ignis sounded suspicious and he shrugged.

"I saw the way he's moving, a night sleeping on hard rock won't do him any good. Best he not limp down the aisle with his bride." He thought they were taking a big risk travelling with the Prince so obviously, they should have done more to disguise him for safety. If Ichigo could recognise him and he'd barely been on Eos for three months then surely everyone who saw would recognise him.

"Ah, we can reimburse you."

"No need, I do well enough off hunting." He glanced at the sky. "The lights don't reach that dock," he warned. "I'll meet you at your car."

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Prompto followed his friends into the small house set back from the beach, along with several others, obviously homes for those who worked around the resort. Ichigo flicked the lights on to reveal a rather spartan room with a small kitchen in the corner.

"There's two bedrooms down the hall plus a bathroom, take your pick. I'll grab what I need for the couch."

"We can't kick you out of your room!" Prompto argued.

"It's fine, there's four of you and two beds. A night on the couch is still more comfortable than a Haven."

Gladio carried the bucket of fish over to the kitchen.

"Do you mind if I prepare the meal?"

"Go ahead. Pans are in the lower cupboards, there's some spices and other food in the uppers. Knock yourself out. I'll grab my shower and then it'll be free for all of you."

"Thanks," Prompto grinned at him and Ichigo nodded, heading off to the bathroom.

"You sure this is safe?" Gladio whispered to Ignis.

"Safe enough," Ignis answered, glancing at the hallway. "Noctis needs a proper rest, we all do. He wears a Hunters tags and that organisation has proven trustworthy in the past. He also stepped in as I was having some trouble with a rather odd man who seemed to know who I was and why we are here, not that it would be hard to work out I suppose."

Prompto moved away and found a photo, it was their host, a few years younger, with two girls and an older man, obviously his Father which likely meant the girls were his siblings. He wondered where they were now, though by the look of the room they lived in a city, which meant Insomnia or Lestallum. So what would have brought Ichigo out here as a Hunter unless…well… The guy was quiet, reserved, but not unfriendly, Prompto didn't think he'd bring them here under false pretences, besides they outnumbered him and had access to magic.

They were soon eating a good meal made with Noct's fish and then he went to the main bedroom with Noctis while Iggy and Gladio took the other.

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Ichigo lay on the couch, feeling the presence of four strangers in the house made it harder for him to fall asleep. In the end, Shiro materialised to keep watch, letting him fall asleep.

Not long after he jerked awake, eyes wide. Nothing was amiss and yet…he met Shiro's golden gaze, they both felt it, danger though not at Galdin. The Treaty maybe?

_TBC…_


	3. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: not mine_

_Chapter Edited._

**Chapter 2**

Ignis found the couch unoccupied when he got up, the bathroom door open. It appeared their host was no longer with in the house, which concerned him some, but the other male was likely working. He took a quick shower and the redressed before beginning on breakfast. Gladio was next up, heading out for a morning run and after a while Prompto staggered out to grab a shower. "Is Noctis awake?"

"Getting there," the blonde answered. He moved back into the bedroom and soon emerged with a half asleep Noctis, pushing him into the shower.

The door opened to admit their host, fully dressed and armed. "Bad news, ferries are still out." He tossed some bounty forms onto the table. "Figured you'd want to make some funds. Also, there's someone who might be able to help you get transport. Name's Dino, he hangs around the resort and ferry dock. He'll want something in exchange, but he likely already knows the Prince is here and since his day job is as a reporter, getting him on side will help keep you out of the papers."

"Thank you, for all of your help," Ignis offered as he began dishing up five plates. He held one out to Ichigo who accepted it.

"Two meals I didn't have to cook is always nice," Ichigo grinned and dug in. Ignis chuckled in return as the others gathered to eat, Gladio returning from his run right on time. "You're an excellent cook," Ichigo praised and Ignis smiled.

"Thank you, I do my best." He then handed the bounty forms out. "Ichigo brought these back for us to choose from."

"What about you?" Prompto asked and Ichigo shook his head.

"I've been at this longer, I've got a higher rank," he explained. "You can stay here till you arrange transport. I've got a hunt today and one tonight."

"Thank you, if there's anything I can offer in return," Noctis offered, sounding official.

Ichigo shook his head. "Just a hunter helping a few newbie hunters out.

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Ichigo headed back to turn in his bounty, body aching in the good way from the work out.

"Hey kid!" a familiar voice called, and he turned to nod at Dino, walking over to him.

"Need something?"

"I sent the Prince off to get me a gemstone for my jewellery business. I'm working on getting them passage to Altissia, should be ready tomorrow."

"Good to hear, it'd be a pain if he missed his own wedding," Ichigo grinned.

Dino chuckled, "Pretty sure they won't hold it till he arrives, he is one of the guests of honour after all. Good hunting?"

"Yeah, I've got a night hunt tonight, hobgoblins."

"Close?" Dino asked in concern.

"Up the gorge near the Haven from reports," Ichigo answered, and Dino frowned.

"They never used to come so close," the reporter told him, and Ichigo nodded.

"They're getting bolder, is there a way to expand where the lights cover?" it covered the resort, parking area, the beach up to the fishing dock, caravan, and then the local's houses, but that was it. Not even the route to the Haven was covered all of the way.

"We'd need more lights to do that. That'd mean Lestallum or Crown City," Dino shrugged. "Think we should ask the Prince?"

"Worth a shot, a lot of people form Insomnia pass through here on vacation," Ichigo shrugged. "I'll see you later, I want to get some sleep before tonight."

"Good hunting."

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Ichigo walked into the lights of the resort and relaxed, eyes fading from black and gold back to amber. Hollows had far better night vision, so he tended to use it when taking night hunts. He'd been on edge all night though, something in the air that had Shiro on edge, something in the direction if Insomnia, worse than the night before. He hesitated but then took to the air, launching off at his fastest Shunpo/Sonido hybridised version, what should have taken over a day of driving he covered in a far, far, shorter time period. He stopped, staring in horrified shock, ships surrounded the city in the distance, the Wall gone. He could feel people dying by the dozens and he moved closer. He saw massive daemons smashing around and then strange…stone statues? They were attacking the building sized daemons. Without a second thought he drew out Shiro's blade, unsealing them with a whispered word and then he was moving. He sent out a Getsuga Jūjishō at the closest daemon, watching as it imploded.

He ran in past the physical walls and saw two figures fighting like crazy, one of them seeming to teleport around the battlefield. He paused, watching them, and then he recognised the gear the teleporting one was wearing, Kingsglaive. He'd never met one, but they were in the news as the frontline troops. That made it obvious who to help so he dropped to the ground, making sure his tags were out and visible. He sent a Byakurai at the heavily armoured figure, sending it back, giving the Glaive some breathing space. The man glanced his way and frowned in confusion when he saw him. "Looked like you could use some help."

"I've got this," the man gasped out. "The people…"

Ichigo stared at him and realised he was dying, and it was due to outside forces. It was obvious he had something personal against the armoured guy and Ichigo nodded, able to understand. "The King?"

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"Dead. The Oracle should be out of the city by now," Nyx wasn't sure why he was telling the stranger but there was something about him that seemed trustworthy, he'd hit Glauca with what had looked like a thunder spell, a Crownsguard undercover as a civilian maybe? Light glinted off something on his chest and Nyx realised they were the tags Hunters wore. "The Prince…"

"Safely in Galdin, should be asleep at my place," the stranger assured him, swords in hand as he watched their surroundings.

That was a relief, the Prince was safe, Lunafreya would get the Ring to him. he just needed to stop Glauca. "They came for the Crystal and Ring. She has the Ring to deliver to the Prince, but they took the Crystal," he winced as the burns spread. A glance at the horizon showed sunrise wasn't too far and Glauca was getting back up. "Help the people."

The stranger nodded and then he was gone, and Nyx focused back on his last fight.

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Ichigo threw up a Bakudō #81 Dankū between a group of fleeing civilians and the approaching group of MT's and daemons, before going on the attack. The city was in utter chaos, surely there had been plans in place for if something went wrong during the signing? They had to have known it was a trap, right? Why else send the Prince away? He moved ahead of them, clearing a gate for them to get out through and then went back, getting the people moving towards the cleared exit and the slightly more safe wild areas outside of the city, across the bridge. No one asked questions when he obviously knew what he was doing, too relieved to have someone guiding them.

He got the last group across as the sun rose, feeling as one more life ended, the young Glaive had defeated his foe and now his life had ended as well. Ichigo kept an eye on the Imperial forces but they just formed a blockade without pursuing the refugees, so he found a convenient rock to drop behind and get his breath back, pushing back horror memories of the war as he did. It had been a while since he had fought like that and he'd obviously lost a bit of the fighting edge and fitness he'd had during the war, getting him some berating from both of his spirits and he knew they were right. Just because he'd lived in peace for three years, hadn't meant he'd always have peace and he'd known it; he'd just been so tired of fighting. He needed to get back to his place, though what could he see without explaining how he had gotten to Insomnia and back in one night?

Ichigo got up and headed back to Galdin Quay, barely remembering to turn in his bounty before heading home. He found them all still asleep, so he silently stripped down and collapsed on the couch to catch an hour or two of sleep. It wouldn't take long for the news to spread, what would the Prince….no King, do now? Surely the wedding was off if the Peace Treaty has failed?

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Ichigo woke to the Prince yelling, sitting up to find them sitting around, the Prince standing, hands balled into fists…a newspaper in Ignis' hands. They knew then. "What's going on?" he asked, yanking his shirt on. Ignis simply handed the paper over and Ignis skimmed it. "It reports you as dead, how accurate do you think the rest is?"

"Every paper is reporting it," Ignis answered stiffly.

"But the wedding! Altissia!" The Prince snapped.

"I know, that was the plan. Yet the reports of the invasion are all the same. How could every headline in the kingdom be wrong?"

"…Lies."

"…If only," the young blonde whispered shakily.

Ichigo got up and went to the kitchen, putting tea on, they could all use a hot drink for the shock. He really felt for the young Prince, for all of them, he doubted their families had made it out if they were close to the Crown.

"What else do we know?" Gladio asked, accepting the mug when Ichigo offered it. Ignis shook his head even as he accepted one as well. "Then we can't be sure until we see it with our own eyes."

"And that means we go back to Insomnia."

"It won't be safe for you, if they're smart they've got blockades up," Ichigo warned.

"Might not be safe for us here," Prompto countered shakily, blue eyes very wide.

Gladio turned to Noctis, as Prince it was his decision. "Turn back?"

Noctis cast his eyes downward. "Yeah," he whispered.

Ichigo pressed the mug into his hands. "Drink, it'll help, and you need to stay hydrated," he told the younger man and tortured blue eyes rose to meet his. He knew that look; how many times had he seen it during the war? And there was nothing he could do, his Father was dead, nothing could take that pain away. "I'll get breakfast together; you all need to eat first." When they tried to protest he sent them to pack and shower. He put together a quick, hearty meal and ensured they ate it, packing away more fresh food for them to take on the road. He glanced over at them and then grabbed his own pack, making sure he had everything he may need in it still. He walked them to the car, watching them, seeing trembling hands and the lingering shocked expressions, he'd made the right choice. "Yeah, no. Keys."

"Pardon?" Ignis asked, pushing his glasses up.

"None of you are in fit condition to drive. I'm not letting you cause a crash or something."

"I assure you…." Ignis trailed off as he looked at the flat expression Ichigo aimed his way before slowly handing the keys over and getting in back with the Prince and Prompto. Ichigo sat in the driver's seat and checked the controls over before starting the engine and pulling out. Good thing his Dad had insisted he learn to drive; it had come in handy since arriving. "Want the top up or down?" he asked as he drove.

"Down," the Prince answered and Ichigo hit the button.

Ichigo kept his senses tuned as he drove, the car was very distinctive, as were the plates on it. Five people instead of four in it might through off the casual observer but he doubted the Empire would care. The last thing they needed right now was a fight, their heads weren't in the right place.

An hour later Ichigo had to put the top back up as it began to rain. The day was spent in silence, none of them eager to speak, other than Ignis occasionally giving instruction on which way to turn to Ichigo. They only stopped for a few bathroom breaks, eating the food Ichigo had packed when he pushed them to, grief and fear killing their appetites.

As the sun moved lower Ichigo spotted the smoke of a Haven and parked, urging them out of the car and up to the rock. Gladio managed to set up the camp while Ichigo cooked something hearty but easy to eat, a good stew.

"You're sleeping out here?" Prompto asked in concern and Ichigo smiled at the younger man.

"I always do when Hunting, not a fan of tents."

"You sure? It'd be a squeeze, but we could fit."

"I'm good Prompto, you've had a horrible day, go get some sleep."

"Thanks," he whispered, crawling into the tent while Ichigo stretched out on the stone, using his pack as a pillow, staring up at the stars until he fell asleep.

He was first up, getting some oatmeal out for breakfast, before once again taking the driver's seat.

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"I hope everyone's okay…" Prompto whispered, kind of glad he was squished in the middle as the shortest, it felt better to have Noct and Iggy pressed against him, grounding him as his anxiety kicked in. Were his parents okay? Had they even been in the city? He hadn't seen them in months but that didn't mean he wasn't worried; they'd done their best over the years. He knew he hadn't been the easiest kid to raise, too foreign looking, too fat, too shy…

"Lotta good hoping's gonna do," Noct snapped and he flinched back into Ignis a little.

"You mustn't lose faith," Ignis chided, gently gripping Prompto's arm which helped.

"Really? Can faith stop a fleet of imperial dreadnoughts?" Noctis almost sneered at his Advisor.

Prompto took a deep breath, it wasn't personal, Noctis was just scared.

"Give it a rest," Gladio looked back at them from the front passenger seat.

"My old man had plenty of faith—"

"Enough," The Shield growled.

"The empire lied. They betrayed us," Prompto whispered and Ignis shifted to wrap an arm around him. He may have grown up in Insomnia, but he'd always known his birth parents were from Niflheim, for all he knew he'd been born there. He'd heard the snide comments all his life from strangers and classmates, only befriending Noct had stopped the ones in school. He hated the Empire, but a lot of people didn't care about that, now he had even more reason to hate it.

"Conjecture gets us nowhere. We're searching for truth," Ignis tried to offer comfort.

"All you'll find are lies—like that ceasefire," Noctis turned his head to stare out at the passing scenery though Prompto doubted he was really seeing it.

They drove in silence for a few hours and then they spotted them overhead, heading the same way they were, towards the city.

"Look at the size of those things," Gladio whistled in awe at the size of them.

"Imperial dreadnoughts, they transport soldiers—namely, the magitek infantry."

"The robots?" Gladio twisted to look at Ignis.

"Mass-produced humanoid weapons of warfare, to be more precise."

"We've been seeing more of them around lately," Ichigo pointed out as he drove carefully. "Though usually the smaller ships. Anyone need a pitstop? I'm going to have to stop to refuel at the next station, don't want to be low on fuel if we have to make a quick getaway."

"There is a station up ahead in the Longwythe Rest Area, or at Hammerhead which is only a few miles from the first checkpoint into the city," Ignis informed their driver.

He nodded and made the turn for Longwythe when it came up. He pulled up beside the petrol pump and then looked at them. "Stay in the car and keep your heads down, no need to announce your presence when you've been reported dead," he told them before getting out to fill up the car. He vanished inside to pay and came back with a bag. "Eat."

"Not hungry," Noctis sulked.

"Too bad, you need to keep your strength up, plus the sugar will help with any lingering shock."

Ignis blinked in surprise at that. "You have medical training?"

"My Dad was a doctor, ran his own clinic, I grew up helping out when needed," he answered as he pulled back onto the road.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo frowned at the totally empty road, they hadn't seen any dreadnaughts for a while but that didn't mean much. "Any way close other than the main road?" he asked.

"There's a side road, follow that wall," Gladio pointed and Ichigo pulled off the road and onto the dirt, moving to drive along the cliff that turned into a dark tall wall the closer they got to the checkpoint. He drove as far as was safe and then parked and they got out. He followed them into a mess of narrow passages, heading upwards until they came out onto a flat area. Fog from the sea cloaked the city in the distance but even with that, they could see the thicker black of smoke and the red of fires.

_TBC…._


	4. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: not mine_

_Chapter 2 has been edited and reposted._

**Chapter 3**

Ichigo hovered behind them, watching their backs, as the four natives stared out at the city in horrified shock. Karakura had never taken a lot of damage in the wars, thankfully, but it had come close. His fights with various Arrancar had done their share of damage but the town had been substituted with a fake for the main battle and he had made sure to remove Aizen from the real town for their last showdown. More damage had been done by the Quincy, but they hadn't been interested in human fatalities, thankfully, so most of the fighting had happened in Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. His family home and Geta-boshi's shop had taken the most damage of the years.

This…this was beyond anything he had ever seen and made him very happy Hollows didn't exist in the world, otherwise he would be swamped clearing the city of those who hadn't made it out. He wasn't sure what kind of afterlife there was in this world, but it seemed souls automatically moved on, no matter the circumstance, or those who sent them on could hide from him.

Whatever was going to happen, they would be in the thick of it. Noctis was now King of Lucis…or something, depended on how the rules of inheritance for Royals worked. Did he have to be crowned in a certain manner? Specific place? Or did it just happen automatically? Either way, the Empire had to kill him, or he would be a rallying point for any Lucian who wanted the Empire out of their country. 'Magic' came from the Royal line and from the Oracle. They dying Glaive had said the Oracle had made it out of Insomnia alive, with the King's Ring for Noctis, despite both her and the Prince being reported as dead. Likely, both of them were important and would need to be kept safe. Hopefully the Glaive with her would guard the Oracle, he'd need to find a reason to stick with the guys.

The Prince's phone rang, and it was easy to hear his relief at speaking with whoever it was. He didn't try to listen in since it was likely private, watching back the way they had come. "We've got company," he called softly.

Gladio moved up beside him to look back through the narrow gorge. "MT's. Shouldn't be too hard." He glanced at Ichigo's visible blade. "Close combat I'm guessing."

Ichigo nodded, not like he could toss around the few Kidō he knew, not unless it really came down to life or death, not until he knew them better. His skills would likely be seen as 'magic' and since that seemed limited to certain families, being seen using it would end in way too many questions he wasn't ready to answer yet. "Snipers," he pointed up and Gladio nodded, moving back to make sure the others knew. He blinked as Noctis suddenly appeared in front of one of the snipers, cutting it down before he vanished in a blue light to get the next. It wasn't anything like Shunpo or even Hirenkyaku, it seemed closer to actual teleportation, using the blade as something to guide it. Ichigo drew his blade and leapt in to handle some axemen.

MT's were weird, they felt like daemons, but also different, less wild. They moved kinda like the zombies in an old movie and were apparently incredibly dumb. He could get them to take each other out easily enough. He ducked slightly at the sound of gunshots, but a brief glance showed it was Prompto shooting the MT's and his aim was really good. They made their way back to the car, thankfully it was unnoticed since Ichigo had parked it up under an overhanging bit of debris. Once they were all in, he drove off as quickly as he could.

"Don't suppose the Crownsguard is still active?" Gladio spoke up after a few minutes.

"Wouldn't count on it, not with the marshal out here," Ignis answered.

"I wonder how things are in the city…" Prompto whispered and Ichigo saw Ignis place a hand on his leg in the rear-view mirror.

"There should be reports before long."

"Yeah, something this big can't go ignored."

"And what about us? What do we do?" Prompto asked and Ichigo felt for how lost he sounded.

"Where to?" he asked, glancing back to make sure they weren't being pursued, maybe figuring out a destination would take their minds off what they'd seen of the city.

"Hammerhead," Noctis answered, finally speaking. "Cor said he'll meet us there."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ignis observed Ichigo as he drove. He had done very well in the brief fight, then again, he was a Hunter. He'd caught a look at his tags, he was fairly certain they listed him as fourth rank, well above their own beginning rank. He was good at keeping a clear head, keeping them all moving while ensuring they kept rested and fed. He doubted he could have dealt with the meals over the last day. He was beginning to feel steadier now thankfully.

No, Noctis and Prompto were the real worries now. Noctis was shutting down behind his anger, and, other than the fight, Prompto seemed one step away from emotional collapse. That was not good, they were fugitives now, they could not afford to have any member of the group as a weak link. He just didn't know how to help either of them.

Gladio suddenly shifted around in the front, pulling out his phone to read something, a message? Had Lord Amicitia survived? Surely Cor would have mentioned that so perhaps it meant young Iris had made it out. "Got a message from my sister: she's with refugees bound for Lestallum," he finally told them.

"Well, at least Iris is okay," Prompto offered shakily.

"Yeah. Doesn't sound like everyone else was so lucky, though," Gladio put his phone away. "Heard from your parents Prom?"

"No…I'm not sure if they were in the city or not," he admitted softly. Once again Ignis felt the desire to introduce the elder Argentum's to his best knives. How could such people raise such a caring, giving, son?

"We'd best make haste. Noct won't be dead forever," he spoke up to keep any questions being asked of the younger man. Their driver remained silent, letting them talk among themselves, they could almost forget he was there, and it was nice that he was not trying to impose himself upon them.

Ichigo pulled off the road to park beside the pumps and they piled out as Cindy approached, everyone quickly becoming wet since the rain had picked up again.

"Hey," Gladio called out in greeting and she nodded.

"Glad y'all made it. No weather for drivin', that's for sure," she glanced up at the dark clouds.

"Our thanks," Ignis managed a small smile as she looked them over, he doubted they looked very good.

"Who's your friend?" She asked, eyeing Ichigo.

"Cindy Aurum, this is Ichigo Kurosaki, a hunter from Galdin. He was kind enough to handle driving after…" Ignis trailed off, ashamed that he had been too badly shaken to be trusted behind the wheel.

"Well nice ta meet you," she smiled and Ichigo nodded.

"Likewise."

"Where's Cor?" Noctis demanded before anything else could be said.

"Left to see to business, and left y'all a message with Paw-paw," thankfully Cindy took it in stride, understanding in her eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Boss ain't sat still one second since he heard y'all were comin'."

They began to follow her and Ichigo hesitated, but Ignis turned to him and motioned for him to follow. It was unlikely anything classified would be said and the Hunters would be needed with the other forces either wiped out or depleted.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Cid watched the boys enter the garage, pushing his own grief back as best he could. At least Cor had made it out of the mess alive, but none of them had ever wanted to outlive Reggie. He should have known there was something more wrong when he'd called asking him to keep an eye on the boy, but he'd accepted it as stress from the upcoming Treaty.

There was a stranger with them, but light glinted off the chain around his neck, and Cid wondered where and why they'd picked up a Hunter. He looked about the same age as the boys…but his eyes and the way he moved said he was older…or just a lot more experienced. He was confident, eyes assessing everything, but it was different to Clarus' boys' confidence, this was the type that came from real experience. Good, they could use someone who knew the territory and how things worked outside of the city.

Reggie's boy…. he looked like he was barely hangin' on. He knew why he'd been raised the way he had, and in theory it had been kind, but now… he was never meant to shoulder the responsibilities of King so young, then again no one ever planned to die when they did. He'd have to grow up fast now or he'd end up dead quick and with him all hope of defeating the Empire.

"Crystal and the king's ring—what they been after all along…" he offered.

"So all talk of peace was merely a pretext." The too serious young man thought out loud and Cid nodded.

"They played my father for a fool," Noctis spat angrily and Cid glared at him. He understood the anger, but he wouldn't let him aim it at his Father.

"Don't kid yourself. Reggie wasn't born yesterday. Lucis got dealt a losin' hand, and your old man played it the best he could. He saw this comin' a mile away, and he wasn't gonna go down without a fight. In the end, though… Well, it just wasn't enough," he finished quietly, glancing at the photo taken in happier times. "I can't even remember the last time I saw Reggie. Feels like a lifetime ago," he whispered before leaving the room. It didn't take them long to follow him outside where the rain had stopped again. "Cor left a message; said he'll wait for ya in the tombs. They're to the northwest of here, just a short ways past the outpost. Find that first." He dropped into his chair and grabbed a beer, remembering their own road trip so many years ago. He should call Weskham, make sure he'd heard the news and knew that Cor had made it.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo listened and observed, seeing the grief in the old man and feeling for him. Sounded like he'd been very close to the King at one point. He wondered why they hadn't seen each other in so long and hoped they had least ended things on good terms, it didn't stop the grief, but it did help some in dealing with it.

"Ichigo, a word?" Ignis called and Ichigo joined him.

"What is it?"

"We owe you thanks for all of your aid and I regret we cannot offer to drive you back to Galdin."

"Don't worry about it," Ichigo denied, shaking his head. "I'm happy to help."

"Still…"

"Ignis, I mean it. You needed help so I helped," Ichigo stated firmly, how was he going to arrange to tag along further though?

"Thank you. I fear things will become more dangerous now. While the Empire has left the Hunters alone before, they may not now. Not when the Hunters came out of Royal forces once."

"We perform a pretty necessary service though, I'd guess they'll watch us but not act unless it looks like we're banding together for more than tackling really tough jobs," Ichigo offered, it would make no sense to target them and then be forced to commit forces to take over their duties. It was part of why Soul Society had accepted the Arrancar taking control of Hueco Mundo, it was better to have them in some form of control than to go in, kill them, and then attempt to control the place themselves. Without some form of order, the amount of incursions into the Living World would have been astronomical.

"I hope you are right," Ignis adjusted his glasses, reminding Ichigo of Uryū.

"It'll take another day or two to reach the outpost, you won't get much further today," he pointed out. "Imperial presence will be very heavy here too due to how close the city is, having an extra fighter on hand could help."

Ignis looked at him. "You are offering to come even further from your home?"

"I don't have a home," Ichigo answered. "Not for a long time now. Besides, it's a Hunter outpost, I can find someone there to either get a lift back to Galdin from or find out if there's somewhere else I'm more needed."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ignis considered his offer. Should they need to fight, his aid would be very welcome, as he had far more real experience than any of them. In a way, that concerned him, running into Ichigo and all the help he had given them, was almost too good to be true. He had obviously been known and trusted in Galdin Quay though. He looked to where Noctis and Prompto stood, Gladio in the store ensuring they were well stocked. The blonde looked a little calmer now which was good but Noctis was still very closed off. Would Ichigo's presence threaten his Prince…no King, in any way? Something told him that it was the opposite.

He looked back at Ichigo and nodded. "Thank you."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Prompto crawled out of the tent, unable to sleep and not wanting to wake the others up. He hesitated when he saw Ichigo stretched out beside the fire, he'd forgotten he was there. Then he sat up and looked towards where Prompto was standing.

"Prompto?" Ichigo called in concern and it was weird, someone he barely knew was concerned about him.

"Uh…sorry, go back to sleep, just gotta…" he pointed at the area they had marked off for personal use and Ichigo nodded so Prompto moved off to handle that.

He stared out into the darkness, refusing to look in the direction he knew Insomnia was, not wanting to know if the city was still burning. He didn't remember living anywhere but the city and now it was all gone…all because of the Empire and he found he was fidgeting with his wristband, forcing himself to let go of it. Now, more than ever, he had to keep it hidden. Not that he knew what it meant, but he doubted it was anything good.

He shook off his thoughts and head back, seeing Ichigo was now sitting beside the fire. He hesitated, not really wanting to go back into the tent yet. Ichigo obviously saw him and waved him over, handing him a mug as he sat.

"You sure you're okay?" the Hunter asked, and Prompto shrugged. "Worried about your family?" he asked gently.

"I don't even know if they were in the city," he admitted, drinking the tea. "They, uh, travel a lot for work."

"I'm sorry."

He shrugged again. "Do you...have a family?"

Ichigo glanced at him and then back at the fire. "Mom died when I was eight, leaving Dad, me and my younger twin sisters. They were four years younger than me. They died in attack a few years ago," he explained softly.

"I'm sorry," Prompto cringed, why had he asked.

"Not your fault," Ichigo responded. "You should get some sleep; we'll reach the outpost tomorrow."

I can't sleep," he muttered and then he felt something drop over his shoulders. He reached up and felt the material of Ichigo's jacket, looking over at him.

"Try," the Hunter told him, tugging him into lying down next to the fire.

He had been trying…every time he closed his eyes, he saw the city burning, he didn't….

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo watched as Prompto's eyes closed, his breathing deepening as his body relaxed in sleep. He'd cheated but the kid needed a good night's sleep, who knew what they would be doing with this Cor at the outpost. And at least he wasn't going to be fighting a spirit in his head while out or anything. Shinji had been far more obvious when he knocked him out though. Ichigo could go without sleep for quite a while but these boys were fully human, raised in the safety of the city. It would take time for them to adjust to life in the rest of Lucis.

He lay down beside the blonde, sharing his pack pillow with him, just because he could go without sleep didn't mean he would unless necessary. It was always best to sleep when he could, in case he ended up having to go without later. He wondered if Ignis would accept that he was willing to help them beyond tomorrow as he seemed to be the one to make several of the decisions for the group, despite Noctis being the Royal.

_TBC…_


	5. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: not mine_

**Chapter 4**

Ichigo parked the Regalia opposite the large open building that seemed to serve as HQ. thankfully, the days on the road had helped them stabilise a bit emotionally. A nights proper sleep had helped Prompto and the older two were pushing passed their grief to ensure the group remained safe…but the Prince was still a concern. It was obvious he was bottling everything up and that was not good.

They got out and looked around while Ichigo grabbed his pack from the trunk, shouldering it. "I'll check in, see you later?"

"Yeah, we'll find you before we leave," Gladio answered, offering his hand and Ichigo shook it. He slipped away and was surprised to spot Dave but headed over to him.

"What brings you this far north Ichigo?" Dave asked, slapping him on the shoulder.

"Helping out some green hunters."

"Ah, the city boys. They okay?"

It was obvious Dave had realised who they were but was keeping quiet to keep them safe and Ichigo nodded. "Dealing. Wasn't going to let them drive after the news broke though, last thing they needed was to crash."

"Good. Looking for a lift home?"

"Thought I'd wait and see what they're doing, in case they need help and then wherever I'm needed most."

"Might be a hunt out in Duscae, near the Nebulawood. There's a nasty behemoth called Deadeye causing a lot of trouble. Wiz's Chocobo outpost is out there and they can't let the birds out while it's around. Without them, there's no rentals."

"Which means people are getting stranded." Chocobos had been a shock, like a giant yellow chicken big enough to ride. They didn't particularly like him and he preferred walking or Shunpo but others relied on the birds. "No one's been able to take it out?"

"First guy to go after it never came back, since then there's been a group of three and another duo, all have come back alive but needing a lot of medical care. They've all been low ranked though, not ready for something like a behemoth."

He'd have to run back to Galdin and finish packing up his little house, who knew when he'd go back. Pity he couldn't store more than his blades away within his very soul, then again it would probably be very weird if he could, though it'd give that pair more to look at and do other than stand on flagpoles or spar.

He carried his pack inside the building, a few people looking up but he was just another Hunter to them. He grabbed a corner to dump his gear in and sat down to stretch out a bit, leaning against his pack. He closed his eyes as if sleeping but in reality he was using other senses to track the Prince and his friends. They met up with another person and he felt a strange flare in Noctis' signature before it settled down, but it had changed…more powerful? A while later he felt the surge of battle and opened his eyes, everyone looking up the path the boys had taken at the distant sound of gunfire and explosions. They didn't last very long though and eventually an older man in black walked down the path, speaking with a woman before talking to Dave.

He was surprised when the man approached him. "Kurosaki?"

"Yeah," he stood up, finding the man was a little taller than he was. "Can I help you?"

"Cor Leonis," he introduced himself, the man Noctis and co had been looking for in Hammerhead and the name was vaguely familiar…a news article soon after he arrived…ah! Crownsguard.

"Ichigo," he offered and the man nodded.

"Ignis speaks highly of your skills. Thank you, for helping them."

Ichigo shrugged slightly. "The Pr…Noctis wasn't moving too well and everything was booked out, figured he didn't want to limp down the aisle. Though I guess the wedding's off now."

Leonis nodded. "Dave said you'll be heading into Duscae?"

"He mentioned a hunt out there in order to get the Chocobo rentals back into business."

"there's a base blockading the road that needs dealing with."

"That you're way of asking for help with it?"

"You're a hunter, not a soldier."

"And Imperial blockades make life harder for everyone. I'll help."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Ichigo!" Prompto waved at the hunter, spotting him near the Regalia.

"Did whatever you needed to?"

"Yeah," Noctis answered. "Got a lift?"

Ichigo shook his head. "I've agreed to take a hunt around the Chocobo outpost for a behemoth. It's why the rentals are down. And that guy you met with, Cor, asked if I'd help with the blockade into Duscae."

"Are you sure?" Ignis asked in concern.

Prompto understood his concern, Ichigo was a hunter, a good one, but he wasn't a soldier. They weren't either, even if the other guys had been Crownsguard for years, they'd never seen real combat. He had years of arcade shooting games and a month of training, even if Cor had admitted he'd taken to guns with a raw talent he hadn't seen before. Praise form the Immortal himself…still, he was very aware he was the weak link in the group. He didn't have the physical abilities they did, he had to keep a distance between himself and the enemy or else he risked becoming a liability.

Ichigo just nodded. "Blockades are a pain for everyone."

Ignis looked at Noctis before asking him something softly and he nodded. "Very well, we will give you a lift to the outpost, and a hand with the hunt if you wish."

Prompto's eyes widened and he fought the urge to bounce but Gladio still chuckled. "We can see Chocobos?" he asked and Ignis smirked slightly.

"If Ichigo accepts."

Ichigo looked at him, a smile twitching at his lips. "Sounds good."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ignis parked the car near the Haven and they headed up, the sun too low in the sky to begin their assault on the base. They got the camp set up and Ignis got to work cooking, Ichigo lending a hand.

Once again, he chose to sleep out under the stars, leaving the tent to them. He was still awake two hours later when Prompto left the tent, not saying anything even as he patted the sleeping bag beside him. Prompto snuck over and lay beside him, hands shaking slightly.

"Nightmare?" Ichigo asked softly and the blond nodded. He settled a blanket over them both and then sneakily knocked him out again. He was surprised Prompto had sought him out rather than one of his friends, maybe he didn't want them to know he was having nightmares? A few minutes later, Gladio peered out of the tent in concern and Ichigo motioned for quiet, pointing at Prompto's sleeping form, and the other man nodded, ducking back into the tent.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

They moved into the narrow gap in the rock walls, working their way through until they met the woman from the outpost. She nodded in greeting. "The base is unfinished. If we are to strike, now is the time. Be warned; Commander Loqi has been sighted at the base. Take all care. From here we will split into two groups. Prince Noctis, please join the marshal up ahead. The rest of you will assist me in the diversionary effort," she explained succinctly.

"So it's me and Cor, huh? I'll see you guys later."

"You go give 'em hell. We'll do the same on our end," Gladio smirked and then they backtracked out of the rocks, heading for the main gate with the woman.

"Prom, the snipers are yours. Ichigo, can you watch his back?" Ignis asked and he nodded. "Very good, shall we?" the three of them took off while Prompto found a good spot with some cover, to shoot the snipers from, Ichigo crouching with him, watching for any threat as the attack began.

The fight was just a chaotic mess, something he was very used to. The MT's worked out eventually where they were concealed and he launched himself at them, keeping them off Prompto as he finished off the snipers and then began picking off the various troops before they could reach the others. Seconds after the last MT fell, the gates opened to reveal Noctis and the Marshal, Prompto scrambling out from cover.

"Noct!"

"Marshal. It's good to see you again," Ignis nodded to the man even as Noctis looked them all over.

"Alright on your end?" The Prince asked in concern.

"Right as rain. The Niffs couldn't take their eyes off us," Gladio assured him.

"Thanks to you we were spared their attention," Cor nodded to them, especially Ichigo.

At the sound of an approaching engine they looked up, spotting an imperial drop ship suddenly flying in; the PA activating as it hovered above them.

"Stay right where you are. Well, well, if it isn't Cor the Immortal. So you survived the Citadel. But you won't survive what I have in store for you. It's past time your legend came to an end."

"Say, Marshal, how 'bout you show us how it's done?" Prompto whispered as the armour dropped down.

"No wimping out. Let's move," he ordered, lunging in with his sword.

Once again, Ichigo stuck with Prompto, defending him from the MT's that had arrived with the armour so that he could focus on his shooting. At one point he hauled him back with a grip on his vest, almost throwing him behind a shipping container as missiles hit the ground where they'd been standing.

By the time the armour blew they were exhausted and the sun was getting low in the sky. "Impressive. Seeing you in action puts my mind at ease. It's clear I don't need to worry any more. I'll return to watching the Niffs. 'Til next time, take care," Cor told them before he and the woman whose name Ichigo still hadn't heard left. Ignis vanished as well, going to retrieve the Regalia.

They headed through the now ruined base on foot, Ignis eventually catching up in the car.

"Ain't so bad out here once you get used to it," Gladio offered with a grin.

"Still a lot we haven't seen, though."

"And a lot for us to do," Ignis pointed out.

"Yeah."

"Buck up. We're just getting started," Gladio slapped Prompto on the shoulder before getting into the car.

They got in and Ignis began driving quicker.

"Look out world, here we come!" Prompto cheered from his spot between Ichigo and Noctis.

"We can finally leave this dust bowl behind," Gladio admitted, even he was sick of that dry heat.

"The lands beyond are vast by comparison to Leide."

"Bigger's better! More stuff to see and do," the blonds enthusiasm was contagious, everyone grinning.

"First comes Duscae, a region known for its wetlands. Have you been to Duscae before Ichigo?"

"Never, sorry."

"Really? Wetlands?" Noctis perked up and Ichigo figured he was looking for more fishing opportunities since he'd fished for quite a while at Galdin.

"There's also the Chocobo forest where the hunt is located."

"Now we're talking!" Prompto cheered.

"Further west lies the Cleigne region, wherein we'll find the town of Lestallum."

"Oh. Isn't that where Iris is headed?"

"Barring delays, she should've arrived by now. Maybe even had herself a look at the Meteor," Gladio answered, sounding relieved.

"The Meteor of the Six?" Noctis spoke up, obviously trying not to sound too interested.

"The same. Its heat is harnessed to power Lestallum," Ignis explained. It was very different to the power sources Ichigo was used to back home but seemed like it may be better for the environment.

"Whoa. That sounds way cool."

"I'm actually looking forward to this," Gladio smirked as they pulled into the Alstor Coernix Station.

"It will be a long drive. Best fill up the tank before we set out," Ignis told them as he parked. They all got out to stretch their legs and look around.

Noctis's phone rand and he frowned as he dug it out. "Who could this be? Hello?"

"_Um, Noct?"_

"Iris?" He asked in surprise, getting their attention.

"_It's really you! So good to hear your voice! Everything's fine over here. We managed to make it to Lestallum. We just settled into our new digs. So, yeah. Let me know when you're coming so we can meet up."_

"Yeah, will do. We're helping out with a hunt first so it'll be a while."

"_You better! Be careful too,"_ she warned before he hung up.

"Was that Iris? Hmph. Can't even call her own brother," Gladio scoffed.

"In all fairness, yours wasn't the obituary broadcast all over Lucis," Ignis offered as he finished filling the tank. "We should see if the caravan is available, start fresh in the morning."

"I'll do it," Ichigo offered, heading for it, finding it hadn't been rented yet so he quickly paid the fee. He pulled out his map and checked the roads, looked like they'd reach the outpost in about two days.

He headed into the store, seeing Gladio's large form through the window.

"Oh, crap. They're out," he heard Noctis hiss so moved to join them, seeing them staring at a sign.

_Due to road closures, we are SOLD OUT of Ebony Coffee for the foreseeable future._

"Can't let him see this."

"He'd be crushed."

"Who?" he asked and they nearly jumped.

"Ignis, he probably bleeds Ebony," Noctis admitted.

"So our driver's going to be going through caffeine withdrawal, wonderful."

"Good thing we have a backup," Gladio smirked and he rolled his eyes.

"Caravan's ours for the night."

"Great, beats camping," Noctis grinned at Gladio, obviously relieved.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Noctis watched as Ichigo helped out around camp. It was kind of weird how easily he just slotted into place with them, willing to help with any task. He wasn't a big talker but then most of them could be pretty quiet. Even Prompto had been quieter than normal since… well.

Ichigo was good at watching Prom's back too, freeing him to focus on his shooting without worrying about being snuck up on. He'd seen Ichigo yank him back during their fight with the Loqi guy, getting them both clear of missiles, he was fast and strong. It made sense, he had to be good to hunt on his own. He was…almost tempted to see if Ichigo would stay on with them, but that was selfish. He didn't need the trouble travelling with them would bring from the Empire. They'd take care of the behemoth and then go their separate ways.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Now this is what I'm talkin' about!" Prompto bounced in his seat, almost trying to stand before Noct and Ichigo yanked him back down, letting Ignis park sensibly before they got out.

"The kid's got it bad," Gladio laughed, watching as the blond actually began bouncing once clear of the Regalia.

"There are worse vices, I suppose," Ignis offered fondly.

They walked passed a sign and Prompto pointed with wide eyes at the words 'Chocobo Racing'. "Oh em gee, guys. They've got Chocobo races here."

"Your point being?"

"We have to stay and watch," Prompto answered as if it was obvious.

"Once we have handled the hunt we have to continue our journey," Ignis answered and he pouted slightly.

"C'mon, just a little longer!" he pleaded even as they approached an older gentleman.

Ichigo stepped forward as ranking hunter, plus the less people got a really good look at Noctis the better. "Dave sent us, said there's a problem behemoth in the area?"

"Yeah and we can't permit our birds to leave the post, not while Deadeye's still about. He's an uncommonly ferocious behemoth that's taken to prowlin' these parts of late. His scent makes our birds nervous, an' to prevent accidents an' tragedies, we have no choice but to suspend rentals. You reckon you could handle the likes of Deadeye? If you could bring the beast down, there'd be a reward in it for ya. But knowin' the danger, I wouldn't blame ya for sayin' no. Other hunters haven't had much luck."

Ichigo pulled out his map and put it on the table. "Where was he last sighted?" they gathered around to see where the creature tended to linger. "The Nebulawood it is then." They shook and went to rent the caravan, leaving behind anything they didn't need for the hunt.

They left the outpost and spread out a bit along the path, especially once among the rocks, just in case it got above them. They paused at the sound of a vicious growl echoing around.

"The hell?"

They looked up, seeing first one tree, then a second collapsing among the hills in the distance.

"Well…that's not a comforting sight," Prompto whispered.

They cautiously headed on inside; a number of trees in the area had been snapped; the sound of creaking wood reaching them, trees occasionally falling in the distance. They soon entered a clearing where they met a pack of voretooth fleeing from the other direction.

"Whoa! Look at 'em go!" Knowing the trouble the beast could cause to others they quickly took them down before moving on, mist thickening on the ground, making the journey more treacherous.

They make their way to an abandoned stone structure with an opening and passage through which they could crouch; Noctis began to lead the way in when they heard growling again.

"Noct!" Gladio grabbed Noctis and gently pulled the prince back before stepping forward, but Ichigo beat him to it, dropping down into a crouch to crawl into the tunnel. Gladio blinked but then followed him in.

"Hold up!" Ichigo hissed as he stopped, flattening himself to the wall. Looking out to the side he could see Deadeye prowling into view, revealing a blind right eye. That didn't mean it couldn't hear or smell them in the tunnel.

Gladio saw it and looked back to the other, holding up a finger, closing his right eye and tapping his closed eye with his finger. "'Deadeye'—the name says it all," he murmured to let them know since only he and Ichigo had a good view of the creature.

After a few more seconds of observing the massive animal, Ichigo motioned for the others to follow him. "Let's move."

They continued making their way forward, but after about ten more feet, Deadeye suddenly seemed to figure out where they were; forcing them to press themselves against the ground to avoid Deadeye's snout as it was shoved down into the narrow passageway. They all heard the soft whimper from Prompto and Ignis reached forward to gently grip his ankle, steadying him. Thankfully, after a few seconds, Deadeye gave up; raising his head to roar, then turning and stomping away. They waited a few seconds more before getting up and continuing the crawl out of the tunnel.

"It's weak on the right—no eye, no horn," Gladio told the others as they made their way through the misty trees and rocks.

"We'll stay in range until we can exploit its blind spot," Ignis offered as they kept moving as quietly as possible.

"Okay?" Noct whispered to his best friend and Prompto nodded, flushing slightly in embarrassment at having being heard.

They soon reached a fence and used the rocks to jump over it, then entered a mist-filled clearing of the wood where Deadeye had its blind side to them.

"We've got the beast in our sights," Gladio grinned, ready for a fight.

"But no plan of attack. The behemoth should be headed back to its lair, where we can catch it fully off guard," Ignis argued.

"Yeah, as long as we stay on guard ourselves."

"Be careful, a trapped animal is at its most dangerous," Ichigo warned, then again it had too much room to out manoeuvre them and the mist did a good job of limiting their visibility too. They moved from outcropping to outcropping and fallen trees, staying just out of sight without losing sight of the beast themselves.

They followed Deadeye into a gutted and burned-out building in the wilderness that obviously served as his lair. The bones of previous meals littering the place made it obvious.

"Look," Ignis pointed the small outcropping where Deadeye lay and then down to the barrels that littered the ground.

"Think they actually have fuel in them?" Ichigo asked.

"Worth a try, Noct?" Ignis glanced at the Prince who handed out magic flasks to his Retainers.

"Fire spells should work well. Sorry," he whispered to Ichigo who shrugged.

"I'll keep him off your backs."

"Let's go," Gladio whispered and they moved out.

As soon as he saw them he leapt down from his perch and Ignis threw the first spell, igniting the barrel.

They began harrying the beast to get him into range of the next barrel, Ichigo yanking Ignis back from a lethal swipe, meeting claws with his blade, making the beast yelp. Noctis began warping around to disorientate Deadeye, egging him on. There was only one barrel left when he fell and Ichigo buried his blade in his throat just to be sure.

"All in a day's work," Gladio grinned.

"Let's get back…I want a shower!" Noctis grimaced at how filthy they had all become during the fight, they probably stank too. The trip back was a lot quicker, Gladio hauling along Deadeye's other horn as proof.

"You boys did it—you took down Deadeye! The area's safe again, an' we owe it all to you. On behalf of the locals, I give you my heartfelt thanks," Wiz announced when they appeared.

"So, about the Chocobos…" Prompto asked and Wiz laughed.

"Our birds're at your disposal. You can rent them any time you like," he promised and Prompto perked up but Noctis grabbed him.

"Shower, food and sleep first," the Prince ordered and everyone laughed as Prompto deflated, pouting, but followed him to the caravan.

_TBC…._


	6. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: not mine_

_I've had 2 requests for a pairing of the five guys and not really any other suggestions. _

**Chapter 6**

Prompto left the caravan and stretched, smiling as he watched the birds enjoy their freedom. He grinned when he spotted Ignis, moving up behind him to see what he was cooking on the grill rather than waking everyone by using the caravans tiny kitchen.

Ignis glanced back and smiled at him. "Good morning Prom,"

"Mornin' Iggy, smells good."

Ignis laughed and gently pushed him back. "No sneaky any," he warned teasingly. "You're up early," he offered more seriously and Prompto shifted, shrugging slightly.

"It's a Chocobo farm, how can I waste time sleeping?" he asked but he knew he wasn't fooling him.

"Go have fun then, I'll call you when it's time to eat."

Prompto grinned and scrambled to the pens, who knew if they'd ever come back? He watched the staff feed the birds and grinned when given the chance to help, feeding and grooming the birds.

"Having fun?"

Prompto turned and grinned at Ichigo, he'd been up before Prompto and he'd been wondering where the hunter was. He was dressed a lot more casually than normal, in loose pants and a t-shirt, the shirt clinging to him, hair damp. "Jogging?" he asked and Ichigo nodded. "Iggy's got breakfast cooking, should be ready soon."

"I think I'll grab a shower first," Ichigo nodded and headed for the caravan and Prompto saw him divert around the birds who all watched him, shifting away. That was weird, he thought Chocobos liked everyone!

They soon gathered to eat breakfast, Noctis barely awake. "We will leave tomorrow for Lestallum. Do you know what you will be doing Ichigo?" Ignis asked him and he nodded.

"There's some hunts around so I'll be staying locally for a while at least."

After breakfast they split up, Prompto managing to convince Noct and Gladio to race Chocobos with him. That night he crawled into bed with Ichigo again, for one last night of good sleep, he didn't know why he slept so well near the hunter but he did.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ignis caught Noctis watching Prompto sleep beside Ichigo and shook his head at his Prince. They'd all noticed Prompto crawling in with Ichigo since Insomnia had fallen but Ignis was positive it was completely innocent. "Leave it Noct, they're just sleeping," he whispered, knowing that as awkward as Noctis could be, he could get jealous of those he cared for getting close to new people. Noctis knew and tried to not to but he'd been so isolated until Prompto had reached out. "Has he heard from his parents?" he asked.

"Nothing," Noctis admitted. "He hasn't seen them in months, I don't even know if they were meant to be in the city or not."

"Surely they would have tried to call," if they hadn't been there or gotten out, especially after Noctis was pronounced dead, knowing the two were best friends. In a way, it would be kinder if they were dead and not alive but leaving him to wonder.

Noctis just shrugged. "What happens after Lestallum?"

"I assume we continue seeking the Royal Arms while the Guard and Hunters search for more and information on the Empire."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Gladio shook Ichigo's hand and then got in the car, eager to see his sister. It was nice to get his seat in the back of the car back, there was less legroom but more width. With Prompto sitting in front of him the kid would pull the seat forward since he was the shortest of them. He chuckled when he saw Prompto hug the hunter who looked startled before returning the hug and then the blond was scrambling into the car.

He'd miss the other guy; he was a good hunter and he'd done well against the Empire too. It wasn't fair to risk dragging him into their war though, he wasn't a soldier or anything. He would need to do more work with Prompto on watching his back while watching theirs. While it was good to have someone in the group who could take down enemies at a distance, it did mean Prompto was at greater risk since it would take them a little time to get to him if he needed help.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo watched the Regalia vanish into the distance before heading back over to Wiz to grab the hunt flyers, it was time to get to work. He set up his campsite out the back of the outpost with Wiz' permission, using the outpost as a base to work from.

A week after the guys left, the earthquakes began.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Ichigo have ya seen?" Wiz demanded and Ichigo looked over at him, he'd had a night hunt so he'd slept most of the day.

"Seen what?"

"The Disc! They're sayin' Titan's gone. The Empire killed him."

The Empire killed one of this worlds gods? Okay, that was kind of scary….if it was true.

Six hours later an Imperial ship appeared and the people eyed it warily, wondering what they wanted, only for four familiar people to emerge, looking battered and exhausted.

"I hope you find that car of yours!" a man called after them and Ichigo recognised him as the one who had tried to do something to Ignis back in Galdin. The ship closed and began to leave, making the people relax.

Ichigo moved towards them, looking for any obvious injuries. "You alright?" he asked and they turned, tensing, relaxing when they recognised him. "Why do I get the feeling you have something to do with the Titan mess?"

"What is being said?" Ignis asked, pushing his glasses up.

"That the Empire killed him, nothing else yet."

That got a snort from Gladio and Noctis rolling his eyes.

"They didn't, they tried but I forged the Covenant with him and he wiped out a lot of their ships," the Prince explained and Ichigo figured the Covenant thing was a big deal but he didn't ask.

"Caravan's free or I have a permanent camp set up," he pointed out the back area. "Not as nice as the Galdin hut, just one big room."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Thank you," Ignis glanced at the others, knowing which Prompto would vote for.

"More room than the caravan?" Gladio asked and Ichigo nodded.

"It's a little drafty but it'll take all of us easily."

"I vote camp," Gladio agreed and Ignis didn't blame him, he was too tall for the average caravan bed.

"Noct?" Ignis glanced at his exhausted King, while the headaches had thankfully stopped they had taken a toll on him and then he had fought a literal god.

"Yeah," he agreed before looking at Ichigo. "Thanks."

Ignis saw Ichigo frown as he looked at Noctis. "Come on, this way," he told them, heading to the back of the outpost where they found a very basic structure. Inside it was a very basic, though good sized, room with a small stove in the corner to warm it at night. The ground was hard packed earth and there was no kitchen or bathroom but there was plenty of room for them all to stretch out. Ichigo already had his camping gear set out and he moved it over so that the four of them could lie together, Prompto setting his down beside Ichigo's so Noctis set his beside Prompto's.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Noctis hung up and sighed, frustrated. It wasn't Cindy's fault; she was calling everyone she could think of to try and find the Regalia but they all knew who likely had it. the car was practically all he had of his Dad and the idea of it in Imperial hands…

The break was nice, Prompto was excited to be around the Chocobos and Wiz was letting him help out with them. Ignis was trading recipes and cooking tips with the staff and visitors and Gladio was hunting with Ichigo to increase their funds.

He was under strict orders to rest and recover. Ignis was taking no chances with his health after the days of headaches Titan had caused as well as claiming two Royal Arms, the various fights, and then taking on Titan. He could just take an Elixir to recover his magic, but it was better to let his magic recover naturally when he had the time. Technically, he had it all back within an hour of the last fight, but he'd pushed himself to the edge of stasis too many times over too short a time frame and that meant it was best to rest.

Staying with Ichigo wasn't all that different from camping as their own group, he didn't impose himself on them or ask questions. He just accepted their presence and helped with meals which he knew Specs appreciated. He wasn't trying to steal Prompto either, Noctis knew it, but he had trouble accepting how easily Prompto could turn to Ichigo. Why?

He nearly jumped as Ichigo sat on the rock beside him. "Not good news I take it?"

"No sign of the Regalia," he admitted grumpily.

"I called Dave; no hunters have spotted the car either."

"Thanks," Noctis was surprised he'd done that, then again, he'd done a lot for them since they'd met him and he'd asked for nothing in return.

"You think the Empire's got it?"

"Looks like it," he admitted.

"if you need a hand getting it back…"

"Why?" he asked and then froze, he hadn't meant to actually say that.

"Why what?" Ichigo asked, not sounding upset at him asking.

"Why do you keep helping us?"

"Why shouldn't I? You need help and I can give it. The Empire is bad news for everyone, getting to hit back at them is no problem at all."

Surely there was more to it than that? But…did it matter? Then again, they'd been bitten by Ardyn, falling for his helpful if cryptic manner for a while, even though they had been suspicious of his willingness to help. Why did the Chancellor of Niflheim want him to forge the Covenant with Titan? It didn't make sense. But Ichigo…Specs had said he stepped in when Ardyn cornered him at Galdin, he'd been part of the community there, the children looking up to him. So the odds of him being an Imperial plant seemed very low.

"Thanks," he finally said, and Ichigo nodded. "Ignis said you saw the odd man he was speaking with at Galdin."

"Yeah, there was something off about him."

"That was Ardyn Izunia, Chancellor of Niflheim…he got us through to Titan and then picked us up after since we wouldn't have made it out. Pretty sure he ordered the Regalia taken as well."

"Why would he help and then hinder you?"

"Yeah, wish we knew."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo walked back into the outpost to find the group rather excited about something but he went to turn in the evidence of his successful hunt before heading over. "Find the car?" he asked and Prompto grinned.

"Better! Gentiana was here."

"Gentiana?" he asked in confusion.

"A messenger for the Astrals who tends to remain by the Oracle's side. She came to tell us that Lady Lunafreya has woken the Fulgurian," Ignis explained.

"Oh," he blinked, okay. "So car hunt is postponed?" he asked and then they all startled as the rain suddenly poured down on them, lightning splitting the sky.

"It would seem so."

They dashed for his camp; grateful it was waterproof. It became very obvious rather quickly that the storm would not be letting up.

"So what? We're meant to walk and follow the flashes?" Prompto asked as Ignis served up a stew.

"I would suggest taking Chocobos, but otherwise, yes," Ignis told him.

"It's going to be dangerous enough travelling with the storm, better wait till morning," Ichigo warned and Noctis scowled at the sky but then nodded.

As soon as the sun rose they set off on rented birds, though Ichigo definitely would have preferred walking. It took him quite a bit to get one of the birds to let him on, getting some chuckles from the others. At least they knew where they were going, the lightning bolts made it pretty obvious.

Of course they found Imperial troops waiting but with five of them they were easy enough to deal with. Ichigo hung back, watching Noctis approach the dead tree, holding his hand out, purple lightning branching from it to him. He turned back to them, eyes glowing, but it quickly faded back to the normal blue. He looked back down the canyon they were standing in, gaze going distant.

'_The revelation of the Storm sender awaits the King… Hurry hence to the eye of the Storm. Foreign hordes fear the True King's ascension. The fearful seek to seal the path of what must come.'_

"What is it? Another headache?"

"Noctis?" Gladio called and the King blinked.

"I heard Gentiana," he admitted, shaking his head. "One down, two more to go."

"Divine voices in your head again?" Gladio asked in concern.

"Hopefully it won't amount to the same headache it did with the Archaean," Ignis frowned.

Ichigo ignored the banter as they got back on their birds, he'd heard the female voice too…why? Did being what he was or from another world make him able to hear? Did she know what he was and why he was there so let him hear?

They were left alone for the trip to the next marker, managing to sneak around the waiting soldiers to reach the second runestone.

'_O King. Journey to Fociaugh, the eastern hollow,'_ she whispered even as several lightning bolts converged and crashed together in the same spot in the distance. _'The seal has been lifted. Deep within the heart of rock lies the runestone, the portal to power. No other can be allowed to find it.'_

"The last one's in the cave," Noctis told them.

"Let's hurry up and get this over with," Gladio was obviously eager to get it done with.

"Finally! Time to meet with the Storm sender!"

"You'd better look your best," Ignis smirked. "A good night's sleep is in order. We won't reach the cave before nightfall, better to wait."

Noctis hesitated, glancing at them and Ichigo knew they looked a rather sorry lot, soaked through to the bone. It wasn't exactly comfortable but at least he wasn't at risk of illness like they were.

They headed for the nearest Haven and set up camp, the birds huddling together around the fire, heads under their wings, while they crammed into the tent together. Good thing he was used to war conditions and the lack of privacy as they all stripped out of wet clothing to towel dry and get into warmer clothing. They summoned their gear in blue flashes of light, he had to rely on his pack. It was Seireitei made and Kisuke approved, the thing could probably stay dry at the bottom of the ocean or the heart of a volcano.

"So where exactly are we headed?" he asked as they ate.

"Fociaugh Hollow," Ignis answered.

"So we're basically backtracking," Prompto sighed, leaning against Noctis.

The tent was very cosy with all of them inside but no one was going to let him sleep under the stars in that storm. Prompto happily cuddled between Ichigo and Noctis, Ignis by the tent flap and Gladio on the far side.

They set out as soon as possible the next morning, at least the weather kept most of the wildlife out of their way. They were getting close when a massive bolt of lightning struck the ground ahead of them, the Chocobos startling so they dismounted and let them go.

"That one was pretty close," Gladio scanned the sky for any others that might come too close.

"Which means we must be as well," Ignis pointed out as they headed up the old track.

"That's the place lightning struck," Ichigo pointed at the split and blackened rock ahead.

"And we're supposed to go inside?" Prompto stared with wide eyes but they kept going, leaving him to scramble after them. He hated caves! "Here we are—Fociaugh Hollow!"

"No telling what waits inside," Ignis teased. "Stay sharp," he then warned.

"Always," Noctis told him.

"We're drifting into the deep end," Prompto whispered, eyes darting, and Ichigo clasped his shoulder.

"Deep breaths."

"I can't quite make out how deep it runs," Ignis peered down the tunnel, their lights coming on in the deepening dark.

"Only one way to find out, right?" Gladio smirked and lead the way.

"I've got a bad feeling about this place," Prompto whispered.

"As if danger lurks 'round every corner."

"Avoid all corners. Got it!"

They fought their way deeper and deeper, having to crawl into passages or even slip into thin crevasses which somehow Gladio managed without scraping all the skin off his bare chest.

"Guys, wait! Wha…what was that sound?" Prompto asked nervously and Ichigo cocked his head, listening with more than just his ears.

"_My baby…" _a voice hissed heavily.

"Keep moving," Noctis encouraged and the began moving on.

They suddenly heard Prompto screaming to the accompaniment of a sound like slithering.

"Prompto!" Noctis screamed, spinning around with wide eyes, they all ran back to find no sign of the blond.

"What happened?" Ignis demanded, then they spotted the opening low to the ground.

"Hey! You alright?" Gladio called, finding the way down and they took off.

They came out into a wide area with a few levels. "There!" Ichigo pointed at where Prompto was standing on a wide, rocky area across a chasm, facing a group of daemons.

"Prompto! Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not okay! This place is literally the worst! And why did it have to be a snake!? That thing dragged me all the way over here!" he yelled back, accompanied by the sound of gunshots.

They drew their own weapons and began moving down towards him, Noctis warping over quickly to back him up as they worked to clear the area. They eventually met up and Prompto took a potion to heal the various scrapes and bruises caused by being dragged through a narrow rock tunnel by a snake.

"Alright?" Ignis asked and Prompto nodded shakily.

"Let's keep going," Noctis bumped shoulders with Prompto who smiled and they made their way through the cavern until they found an opening in a rock wall, crouching to make their way into the next tunnel, then proceeded down the new path.

"She's here—I just know it. Show yourself already!" Prompto yelled in panic.

"Cool it," Gladio growled, eyeing the area.

"It's alright Prompto, we won't let her take you," Ichigo assured him.

They entered a more open area of the cave network, and the naga daemon suddenly emerged, the biggest any of them had run into.

"See!? I told you! There she is! That's her! Do something, Noct!" he stumbled back, eyes wide, Ichigo and Ignis steadying him.

The Naga raised itself up tall, hissing angrily at them. "My baby… Where…"

"Can't help you," Noctis offered, readying his sword.

"Oh, you can…by becoming mine!" she hissed before attacking.

"Whatever that is, it's disgusting," Prompto shuddered, forcing himself to aim and fire.

"Stop bitching, start killing."

Ichigo darted in and out, blade cutting deep into her scaly skin as Gladio's larger sword sliced in deep to the more flesh like upper body. Between the five of them it wasn't long before she was collapsing, dying.

"Bring back…my baby…"

"What was she talking about?"

"Beats me."

"Something about her 'baby'," Gladio shrugged.

"If it's anything like her, I ain't going near it. Do you guys see anything!?" Prompto looked around wildly.

"Nothing that's gonna snatch ya up," Gladio assured him as they begun looking around for the runestone. They followed a path and came out in a small area with a hole in the roof, light spilling down from outside.

"That's the last runestone," Ignis whispered as they stared at it.

"Finally."

"Alright, you're up, Noct."

Noct touched it and, lightning swarmed around him, seeing a flash in his mind of Luna forging the covenant with Ramuh. "This is it…the power of the Storm."

"Eh, I expected more fire and brimstone," Prompto shrugged.

"Wouldn't that be a different Astral?" Ichigo asked.

"Some gods are friendlier than others, I guess."

"But not all of 'em. Poor Luna…"

"Perhaps you had better console her in person," Ignis teased.

"Just a boat ride away!" Prompto grinned as they began making their way back to the surface.

"Lose that scowl along the way," Gladio joined in.

"Will do," he glared at them and Ichigo smothered a grin Seemed like the Prince wanted the wedding at least.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

It seemed to take longer to get out since they were going uphill. "Hey, it stopped raining!" Prompto grinned.

"Guess Ramuh finally got sick of showers."

They stopped and stared as an enormous winged ship flew overhead.

"Up there—it's huge!"

"Way bigger than the last one we saw!"

"You've seen one of these before?" Ichigo asked.

"Nothing like the size of this one."

Noctis's phone startled them by ringing; and he pulled it out to answer. "Yeah."

"_Hey, Highness. About your car…"_

"Yeah?"

"_Well, I found her, but she's at a base."_

"Ugh…"

"_Now, I can handle garage folk no problem, but sweet-talkin' the empire? That'll take some doing."_

"Don't worry about it," he assured her, they would never ask her to deal with them.

"_Yeah?"_

"We'll figure it out," he promised, they'd already guessed the Empire had it.

"_You sure about that?"_

"Yeah, thanks for the heads up. Later." He hung up and put his phone away.

"Who was that?" Gladio asked.

"Cindy."

"Did she have any choice words for you?" Ignis asked and Noctis sighed but nodded.

"Yeah—the Regalia's at an imperial base."

"Oh boy."

"We'd already guessed that though," he offered, glancing at Ichigo.

"Guess that just leaves one question…" Gladio offered.

"When do we retrieve her?" Ignis finished for him.

"I'd say 'now'," Noctis answered.

"This is nothing more than conjecture, but I suspect that ship was due to arrive far earlier. The thunder and lightning must've slowed it down. There's a chance they intend to transport the Regalia back to Niflheim."

"We oughta thank the thunder god for buying us some time."

"But that time is running out," Ichigo pointed out, eyeing the direction the ship had gone in.

"Yeah, let's run in and ride off." The sooner they got the car back the better.

_TBC…_


	7. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: not mine_

**Chapter 6**

They camped at the Haven near the base, waiting for night to fall in order to infiltrate the place, hopefully unseen. If it was just him, Ichigo could be in and out in minutes but there'd be no way to explain that. Overall, the plan was pretty good if risky since they had no idea who or what was inside the base. Going at night wouldn't affect the MT's, but hopefully it would mean the human officers were nicely tucked up in bed or half asleep.

Ignis cooked up a simple yet filling meal and they settled in to wait, keeping the noise down in case of nearby patrols. It was unlikely they would come over though, hunters and travellers were common, even with Insomnia's fall.

,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo sat down beside Gladio where the younger male was brooding. He'd been brooding ever since that guy….Ravis?...had bested him in the base. Ichigo got it, no one liked to be beaten, especially someone whose life revolved around fighting and protecting.

Maybe he should have gone his own way again, but they needed him whether they knew it or not. The fractures in the group were growing, slowly but surely, all of them too grief stricken and angry at the world to notice or try to fix it. He didn't blame them, their home and loved ones were gone. They were too young and sheltered to be facing what they were…and oh that made him feel old. He'd been younger but his fight had been different.

"Losing one fight, especially with four others there to help, isn't the end of the world," he pointed out after a while.

Gladio just grunted in response.

"Don't let wounded pride get in the way. That guy is older than you and serving high up in the military. So yeah, right now he can beat you in pure strength, doesn't mean you can't beat him in others. Besides, he has an unfair advantage. No way that prosthetic is at human strength levels. Now you know about it so you can work out ways around it," Ichigo told him before getting up, hoping his words made an impact.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Oh, Gladdy," Iris sagged into her brothers' arms, alarming the others.

"What's wrong?" he demanded, looking her over for injuries.

"I let you down. I never made it to Caem. The empire came while you were gone," she stepped away, leading them upstairs without saying a word about their new companion. She slumped on the edge of the bed, staring at her shoes. "None of us said a word about Noct. They just showed up and then…poor Jared," she choked and Gladio tensed.

"What do you mean? What happened to Jared!?"

"There was nothing we could do!" she snapped and Noctis swallowed, suddenly knowing where her story was going.

The door to the room slowly opened behind Noctis and he turned to look, finding Talcott there, crying. Noct knelt down to speak with him. "It's…not right. We should've been here." He couldn't say it would be alright because it wouldn't, nothing would bring his Grandfather back.

"I… I couldn't stop them," the kid whimpered.

"But I won't let the empire get away with it," he promised, putting a hand on the kids shoulder." They'll pay for what they've done. I promise."

"I believe in you, Prince Noctis." Talcott looked up at him, trying to wipe the tears away and then he left.

"I'm taking Talcott, and we're going to Caem. We… We can't just stay here and do nothing," Iris spoke up and Noct nodded.

"I understand." They'd thought they would be safe in the city, anonymous, obviously that hadn't worked. Isolation was the next best option.

She nodded and went to pack. The rest of them slowly began settling in for the night, Ichigo slipping away and returning with dinner to save Ignis from cooking. Noctis spent the night locked in strange dreams that he forgot when he woke up the next morning.

They packed up and then realised they had a problem, transport. They had two seats too few in the Regalia, not to mention room for luggage. They needed a second vehicle and to split up.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Prompto stretched and then fiddled with the dial for the radio, seeing Talcott sprawled in the backseat, watching the scenery. Like the rest of them, the kid had never left the Crown City before the invasion. While they'd been travelling all over, the kid had gone straight to Lestallum. He was subdued but that was normal. He glanced over at the driver's seat to find Ichigo glancing at him.

"Okay?" the hunter asked and Prompto nodded.

He hated being away from Noct and the others, but it had been the split that made sense. He worked well with Ichigo in a fight should anything happen and there'd be no reason for the Empire to stop them, not with Prompto in more casual clothing. There'd be no reason to look twice at a young couple and their younger brother.

They were driving completely separately to the Regalia; they'd left hours ahead of the others and would beat them to Caem. Prompto wouldn't mind lending a hand if it was needed with the repairs to the boat, he liked fixing things.

"Are you coming to Altissia with us?" he asked after a while, feeling Ichigo glance his way again.

"I've never been, it could be interesting, if you guys want me along."

Prompto grinned.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Oh, great. Another flying fortress," Gladio scowled as it flew by.

"Let's pull over," Noctis told Ignis who hesitated but readied to pull off the road in Old Lestallum

"Noct…" Iris looked between them.

"Relax. We've got this."

"Are you sure Noct? We are a man down, two if you include Ichigo," Ignis warned.

Noctis grimaced, he was right, but they couldn't just leave the fortress there. He glanced at Iris, she was well trained and on a hunt he'd include her bit for something like a base? He glanced at Gladio who shook his head slightly. "We can handle it. Delivering justice for Jared."

"Iris, I'll need you to wait here," Gladio told her as Ignis parked in front of the hotel.

"Alright."

"Careful, Noct—only fools rush in. I suggest we review our intelligence and devise a plan," Ignis warned and Noctis nodded. They called their Chocobos and headed off to scout the base for another night time infiltration.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo made sure the kid was settled and then headed downstairs to where the woman he'd seen back at the Prairie outpost and another older gentleman were puttering about the place.

"Thank you for all of your help Mr Kurosaki," she offered with a polite smile.

"It's Ichigo," he told her, shaking her hand. "Anything I can do to help?" and within minutes he'd been put to work helping to fix up the house.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Are you guys excited to visit Altissia or what?" Iris asked as they hugged the coastline, enjoying the view of the ocean.

"I guess," Noctis shrugged slightly.

"I'm so jealous!" She admitted.

"We're not going on vacation," Gladio pointed out, reaching out to ruffle her hair.

"Oh, yeah. You're right," she grimaced slightly.

"Iris?" Ignis glanced at her in the rear-view mirror.

"Something wrong?" Noct focused on her.

"What? No, I'm fine. I-I'm not jealous. I just…had a lot of fun hanging out with you guys. But that'll all be in the past once we hit Caem," she explained, not convincing any of them.

"What're you talking about?" Gladio demanded, worried about her.

"Of course, we can spend time together when we return," Ignis assured her.

"Yeah," Noct agreed, there were so few of them left, of course they'd stick together.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Again," Ichigo called and Prompto scrambled to his feet.

Noct had called that morning, they'd be there by early evening as long as nothing went wrong. It would be good to be back together like they should be. He'd been bouncing around so much that Ichigo had dragged him out to help work on the house and then spar to work off the excess nervous energy.

Prompto got back into the correct stance only to end up flat on his back seconds later. He was going to be black and blue before they arrived! Still, he forced himself to focus and take things seriously because his hand to hand training had been very limited, the Marshal had focused on his firearms skills instead, saying the rest could wait until after they returned from the wedding. Obviously that wouldn't be happening so he would take any training he could get.

Ichigo was good, really good, he could teach him a lot so long as he focussed.

,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ignis got out of the car, listening to the siblings bicker as they headed up the dirt path.

"GUYS!" a familiar voice called and then Prompto was running towards them, grinning. "You made it okay?" he looked between them and Ignis smiled.

"We are fine Prompto," he assured him.

"Got to kick some Imperial ass on the way," Gladio smirked.

"What?" Prompto pouted at Noctis, making Iris giggle.

"Sorry, found a base out near Old Lestallum and decided to deal with it. Missed you though," Noctis told him.

"Sounds more fun than home improvements, helping Cid with the boat and getting my butt kicked by Ichigo," he admitted. "Speaking of the boat, we're missing a part and Cindy wants to talk to you."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo watched as Gladio pulled Noctis aside, shaking his head as he overheard the Shield. He was letting wounded pride guide his actions, not that Ichigo hadn't done that before. Uryū had been the worst of them for letting that particular emotion lead their actions though.

"Ichigo?" Noctis called and he nodded, grabbing his pack to join them for the walk to the car.

At least they had decided to ask him to come along for extra back up, he'd heard rumours of the Vesperpool from other hunters, it was not a safe place to go. He got in the back of the Regalia with Noctis, Prompto always took the front due to motion sickness. It would take them five days to reach Meldacio HQ from Caem, but it would take four days to reach the Vesperpool itself since they had to pass through it to reach Meldacio. Unless they wanted to add on time and go via Lestallum. o. Unless they wanted to add on time and go via Lestallum.

It was unsurprising when Noctis fell asleep, a little surprising when he slumped down onto Ichigo, but he didn't push him off. It wasn't like it was the first time he'd ever been used as a pillow.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Noctis stretched as they got out of the car, looking around. There was a Haven across the road but there was enough light left to at least take a look around before making camp. He climbed up a rock, looking around and then pointed. "There's massive ruins over there," he called down and they began the hike.

They were soon walking through shallow marshy water, Prompto wincing as the bugs descended in between fighting off Sahagin and Mushussu. Soon, small ruins began appearing around them, a large wall in the distance.

"Gentlemen, what a pleasant surprise," a hated voice called and Noctis grimaced.

"Ugh! Told you he'd be waiting!" Prompto muttered.

"With my imperial friends, no less," the Chancellor smirked.

"Splendid," Iggy drawled and Noctis bit back a laugh, knowing that tone meant he would love to shove his lance through the man.

"But fear not—I'll put in a good word. Well, come along, then," Ardyn turned and began walking toward the ruins. "Don't stray too far, lest you get left behind. And surely you'd rather avoid unnecessary scuffles, seeing as you're now a trio. Oh, dear. Touchy subject? Pardon me, you've made a new friend have you?" he glanced at Ichigo who remained silent, scowl in place.

"One we won't discuss with you," Ignis warned. The last thing Ichigo needed was Imperial attention.

"Then let's discuss why you're here. Hmm…. It can't be archaeology… Mythril, perhaps?"

"This guy's reading our thoughts!" Prompto swallowed.

"Mythril—it's a precious resource. We can't just let anyone get their hands on it."

"But you'll help us get ours on it, right?" Noctis asked sarcastically.

"I never said that!"

"Of course you didn't," Prompto rolled his eyes.

"Where is the fun in that? I thought you'd rather dig it up yourselves." Ardyn smirked as they walked through a crumbling arch and felt stones beneath their feet, what would have once been a proper path.

Noctis was surprised to see Aranea standing in wait with previously unseen imperial officers against the large stone wall.

Ardyn turned to Noct and the others. "Fear not—I'll be but a moment." He walked over to Aranea and began to speak with her.

"A moment doing what?" Prompto asked quietly.

"Beats me," he shrugged, watching Ardyn closely.

Ardyn suddenly called out to them. "All clear! Go ahead."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo watched the Chancellor as the man walked away. He made his skin crawl in a similar way to Aizen. He got the feeling he wasn't really human anymore…he felt almost similar to daemons as well. The cheerful demeanour reminded him of Gin too which just made him more wary, even if that particular sneaky guy had sort of been on their side in the end.

Thankfully, Ichigo was keeping his powers supressed so the man seemed unaware of whatever part of them that kept the daemons away from him. Was this the threat he had been sent to help with? He was the Chancellor; did that make the Emperor the main threat? Or was he the power behind the throne?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Aranea watched the group as they fought their way through the ruins. They'd traded one fighter for another. The boys may not see it, but she did, this one had seen true battle, had seen war. His name was strange, not anything she could pinpoint a nationality for.

He knew how to move quickly and quietly over the uneven and broken ground unlike the Prince and his friends who made a racket, attracting even more daemons, though the glasses wearing one was rather quiet. Hadn't they taught the Prince stealth?

In the end, they got what they'd come from and headed back up to her ship so she could take them back to Lestallum. After that, she headed for the base to make her other drop off and then back to Niflheim to terminate their employment. It was time to go back to their mercenary roots.

_TBC…_


	8. Last Chapter

Last Chapter

Thanks for all the messages letting me know I oopsed. Of course now you all can't reveiw the proper chapter. I fixed it, the correct chapter is now up. So go back to the last chapter and it will be the right one


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